St. Landry democrat., 1887-04-09

=
ALWAYS a very cheerful man. he VISITED
me last Sunday afternoon, and, as he APP
neared to be more silent than usual /
asked him the cause. He replied that he
would be all right after awhile, and to pay
no attention to his present MOOD lex
pected visit from him tomorrow or
Friday, and was very much shocked When
l heard of his unfortunate death"
Up in room 1854 at the Southern the
Young wife, at half-p past three in the after
noon, was yet unaware of her widoWhood,
the information having been temporarily
withheld from her. Shortly alter Iha'
time however, Mrs. Lewis, wife OF the
manager of the Southern, Mrs Colonel
Foster and Mrs Boggs, all intimate friends
of Mrs Reynolds, undertook the task, but
the scene which followed almost
unperyed them. The unfortunate
woman was almost Crazed with
grief and it required all the persuasive
and sympathetic powers of the three
ladies, who remained with her during the
night. to quiet her distress EX Governor
and Mrs Reynolds had boarded at the
Southern for nearly two years, aad their
genial manner had endcarcd them Doth u
all the employees, not one Of whom fallee
to express the greatest sorrow over the
sad death of the kind-hearted gentleman
who had always been so courteous ane
polite.
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Hardly man in St. Louis or Missouri
was better, more widely or more favorably
known than Ex-Governor Reynolds be
was native Of Charleston, S. G., where
he was born October II, 1921. At an early
age his parents removed TO Virginia, ano
after passing through the various grades
of common school education, he was
sent to the university of that State.
When he was about eighteen years
of age he entered the University OF
Heidelberg Germany, from the la"
department of which he graduated
in 1912, being then but t"enty-one years
of age. He did not, however, return al
once to Virginia. but spent year in Paris
where he took literary course. In lol;
he again took up his residence in Vir-
gina, and in 1874 was admitted TO the bar.
He had practised his profession s2c
cessfuly for about two years.
when he was appointed Charge
dAffaires under the United States
Minister to Spain He held this position
until 1S4S He returned to the United
States in 1859, and then deciding, like
many other men who have since become
famous, that there was more room for
young men farther West, he located IN st.
Louis, and commenced building up large
practice. Three years afterwards he
was appointed United States district
attorney for this district and held
that position until 1857, four years, when
he resigned. It was during
this period that he fought the famous duel
with the late Governor B. Graz Brown.
The two men were both leading politicians
and both Democrats, but in the split in the
party over Thos. H Benton, givlE 9 rise to
the divisions known as the National
Democrats and the Benton Democrats.
Reynolds, like his superior on the
district bench, Judge Treat, was
violently opposed to Benton, and was
consequently on the side Of the Ma
tionals, while Brown took the opposite
side. The hostility between the two fac
tons surpassed anything ever known in
Missouri before or since, and out of the
struggle grew the feud between Brown
and Reynolds. The result was a duel
which was fought on Bloody Island in
1884. Rifles were used and Brown was
struck in the knee, breaking the knee cap
and stiffening the limb so that he
always afterward walked with a limp
Reynolds, on the othec hand, was
unhurt. He had always been considered
a splendid shot, but on this occasion it is
said that he only desired to wound slight
lv, and to this end practiced shooting at
the legs of dummy the day before the
duel. The principals in this duel were
afterward the best Of friends, and have
been heard in animated conversation over
the affair as though it was nything but
an unpleasant reminiscence.
In 1860 Mr.. Reynolds was elected Lieu
tenant Governor of the State on the ticket
with Claib Jackson, and on the breaking
out of the war he cast his lot with the
Confederacy, and when the Confederate
Legislature removed to Southwest Mis-
souri,, he carried the seal of the State along
with him, and issued orders as acting
Governor.
When the war closed he went to Mexico,
and for four years he remained there
warm friend of the Emperor Macmillan.
In 1868 he returned to this city and re-
sumed the practice of law and served as
member of the Legislature in 1874. When
the commission was appointed several
years ago to look into the commerce be-
tween this country and South America,
and to make recommendations in regard
to concessions in the way OF
duties that might be beneficial to this
country ana SOuIu AuleflCa lie was DIP
pointed a member, his knowledge OF
Spanish language and customs, eninently
fitting him for the position. The commits
sion was in South America over year,
and discharged its duties to the satisfac
ton of the Government.
Governor Reynolds was an applicant
for the Mexican Mission under the pres
ent Administration. Hehas been married
to his second wife about seven years.
His first wife was accidentally burned to
death ten or twelve years ago by the OK
plosion of a coal-oil lamp.
A Crisis impending.
NEW YORK, March 30.-The Courier Dss
Etats Utis has received the following from
Paris: M. Eugene Spuller, Deputy for the
late Cote d'Or, Zone of the delegates who
represented France at the inauguration OF
the Bartholdi statue in New York;, was
to-day elected vice-president of the Cham
her of IDENTITIES by q vote of 223, against